1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a submerged conveyance structure for photosensitive material. More specifically, it relates to a submerged conveyance structure for photosensitive material, the structure being applied to a photosensitive material processing device for executing predetermined processing by processing solutions stored in processing tanks, by conveying a photosensitive material to adjacent processing tanks via a path with a blade provided in a partition wall between the processing tanks.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an automatic developing device (such as a film processor, and a printer processor) used in a laboratory, a photosensitive material (such as film and color paper) is processed.
The film and the color paper are processed by being successively conveyed through processing tanks housing water or processing solutions for color development, bleaching fixation, washing with water, and stabilization.
The solution component composition and amount of the processing solution in each tank varies depending on the processing of the film or the color paper.
Therefore, new solution or water is replenished to each processing tank from a replenishing tank according to the amount of film or color paper processed so as to maintain the solution component composition and amount of the water or solution.
Recently, submerged conveyance by a process in which a washing tank is partitioned by a submerged seal such as a roller or a blade has been proposed for water washing tanks and such.
Conventional water washing tanks have a structure in which a photosensitive material is conveyed in the air once (so-called crossover) when the material is conveyed from a previous water washing tank to a next water washing tank. However, in submerged conveyance, by using a partition such as a roller or a blade in the crossover, the distance by which the material is conveyed is shortened so as to reduce processing time.
However, there has been the problem that, in such a submerged conveyance system, if there is a gap at the roller or the blade in the partition portion, solution is leaked from the previous bath to the next bath, whereby the solution concentration of the latter rises and water washing ability becomes poor.
Therefore, sealability between tanks drastically influences water washing ability in the submerged conveyance structure. In order to maintain water washing efficiency, it is necessary to increase the amount by which the washing water is replenished. Of course, it can be-expected that increasing the replenishing amount results in an increase of solution that is wasted.
Furthermore, even in tanks other than the water washing tanks, processing solution performance is reduced by solutions in respectively adjacent tanks becoming mixed.
Therefore, in order to maintain high performance and reduce the amount by which the solutions must be replenished, there has been a demand for a sealing method with little leakage amount.
However, the blade is a part that is movably deformed when the photosensitive material is conveyed, and it is thus extremely difficult to maintain the sealing property.
In consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a submerged conveyance structure for photosensitive material, with the structure being capable of reliably preventing, with a small number of parts, leakage of solutions among processing tanks.
A submerged conveyance structure for photosensitive material pertaining to a first aspect of the present invention has a main body, the main body including a photosensitive material conveyance path for passage of a photosensitive material, the photosensitive material conveyance path formed in partition walls between processing tanks in which processing solutions are stored; a sheet-like blade, the blade disposed in the photosensitive material conveyance path and having an elasticity capable of allowing passage of the photosensitive material with respect to the photosensitive material conveyance path while preventing passage of the processing solutions; and a mounting member for mounting the blade to the photosensitive material conveyance path; wherein the photosensitive material conveyance path has a first tilted surface provided at the upstream side of the direction in which the photosensitive material is conveyed, the first tilted surface facing one surface of the photosensitive material and tilted by an acute angle toward the upstream side of the direction in which the photosensitive material is conveyed, with respect to a photosensitive material passage route, a second tilted surface provided at the upstream side of the direction in which the photosensitive material is conveyed, the second tilted surface facing the other surface of the photosensitive material and tilted by an acute angle toward the upstream side of the direction in which the photosensitive material is conveyed, with respect to the photosensitive material passage route, and a slit hole provided at the downstream side of the direction in which the photosensitive material is conveyed, the slit hole opening toward one of the first tilted surface and the second tilted surface, the slit hole being formed lengthwise in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the photosensitive material is conveyed, and the blade covers the slit hole in a state in which an end edge extending in the longitudinal direction at the side facing the slit hole elastically contacts one of a path upper wall surface and a path lower wall surface of the photosensitive material conveyance path, and a vicinity of the end edges of both sides in the longitudinal direction and a vicinity of the end edge on the opposite side with respect to the side elastically contacting either one of the path upper wall surface and the path lower wall surface are nipped by the mounting member and at least one of the first tilted surface or the second tilted surface having the slit hole.
Photosensitive material processed by processing solutions in processing tanks is conveyed by a conveyance device such as a roller to be sent to an adjacent next processing tank via a photosensitive material conveyance path for successive predetermined processing.
Here, when the photosensitive material passes through the photosensitive material conveyance path, since the photosensitive material is conveyed between the blade and the path upper wall surface or the path lower wall surface while being slid against both, adjacent solutions cannot be mixed with each other. Moreover, when the rear end of the photosensitive material (with respect to the direction in which the photosensitive material is conveyed) passes along the photosensitive material conveyance path, the blade elastically contacts the path upper wall surface or the path lower wall surface to therefore prevent mixing of the adjacent solutions with each other.
Moreover, since the blade covers the slit hole in the state with the portions other than the portion contacting the photosensitive material (i.e., the vicinity of the end edges of both sides in the longitudinal direction and the vicinity of the end edge on the opposite side with respect to the side elastically contacting either one of the path upper wall surface and the path lower wall surface) nipped by the mounting member and at least one of the first tilted surface and the second tilted surface having the slit hole, the sealing property can further be made certain at the portions other than the portion that contacts the photosensitive material.
The submerged conveyance structure for a photosensitive material according to the present invention, the first tilted surface and the second tilted surface are preferably tilted with respect to the photosensitive material passage route in a range of 10xc2x0 to 80xc2x0. Further, one of the first tilted surface and the second tilted surface preferably includes screw holes and projections along the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the blade preferably includes circular or elongated holes at a position corresponding to the screw holes and the projections.
It is further preferable that the mounting member includes a screw hole and a fitting hole at positions corresponding to each of the screw holes and the projections.
Furthermore, it is preferable that the main body, the blade part and the mounting part are detachable. Moreover, preferably, a mounting surface nearest the photosensitive material conveyance path and opposite to a blade nipping surface of the mounting member is a conveyance surface.
Since the submerged conveyance structure for photosensitive material, which structure allows passage of the photosensitive material and prevents mixture of adjacent solutions, comprises three parts, i.e., the main body having the photosensitive material conveyance path, the blade, and the mounting member for mounting the blade, the number of parts structuring the conveyance structure can be reduced and assembly can be facilitated. Moreover, since the blade can be replaced by removing the photosensitive material path member to the outside of the tank, replacement of the blade is facilitated
The submerged conveyance structure for photosensitive member according to the present invention, longitudinal direction side portions of the end edge of the blade, which end edge elastically contacts the path wall surface, are preferably inserted in a groove formed at an area where the first tilted surface and the second tilted surface intersect. Further preferably, the groove includes a width greater than blade thickness. Furthermore, the blade preferably comprises a substantially rectangular shape with a fixed thickness and the blade thickness is in a range of 0.3 to 0.7 mm.
Since both end edge portions of the blade extending in the longitudinal direction elastically contacting the path upper wall surface or the path lower wall surface are inserted and held in the groove formed at the intersection portion of the first tilted surface or the second tilted surface at both sides of the slit hole in the longitudinal direction, the sealing property at the blade longitudinal direction both end parts can further be made certain.
The submerged conveyance structure for photosensitive material according to the present invention, the blade is preferably held relatively movably between the main body and the mounting member. It is further preferable that a dimension of the mounting member in the longitudinal direction is set to be substantially the same as a dimension of the blade in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore preferably, the dimension of the first tilted surface in the longitudinal direction and the dimension of the second tilted surface in the longitudinal direction are greater than the dimension of the slit hole in the longitudinal direction and the dimension of the first tilted surface in the longitudinal direction and the dimension of the second tilted surface in the longitudinal direction are greater than the it dimension of the blade in the longitudinal direction.
Since the blade is reciprocally movable between the main body and the mounting part, generation of distortion (waves, wrinkles or the like) of the blade can be restrained in the case the difference is generated between the blade stretch amount and the main body and mounting part stretch amount is generated at the time of thermal expansion.
The submerged conveyance structure for photosensitive material according to the present invention, the main body and the mounting member preferably comprise a synthetic resin including glass fiber.
Since the main body and the mounting part are made of a synthetic resin containing a glass fiber, the coefficient of linear expansion can be reduced compared with one made of a synthetic resin not containing a glass fiber conventionally used commonly, and thus the cause of generating distortion can be reduced.
The submerged conveyance structure for a photosensitive material according to the present invention, areas of the main body and the mounting member contacting the photosensitive material are preferably disposed with a low frictional material having a friction coefficient lower than that of the material comprising the main body and the mounting member.
Since a low frictional material is provided in the main body and the mounting part at the portion in contact with the photosensitive material, process of wearing of the portion in contact with the photosensitive material can be delayed so that the sealing property can be maintained over a long time. Moreover, the photosensitive material can be conveyed while being slid smoothly.